Midsommer

June 22, 2012

Midsommer in Sweden. Finally, after ten years of invitations we were able to join Frederik and Lesley's midsomer party. Wonderful of dancing around the maypole, smorgasbord, schnapps, herring, gravadlax, music, fires, family eurovision contest, and lots of conversations.

Sunrise at 2:30 am was as perfect as any sunrise I've seen.

Head Shot

June 21, 2012

Hair and make up time before taking the corporate spokesperson photo.

Office elegance

June 20, 2012

Champagne and candlelight in the Nokia hallways.

Football and fish

June 19, 2012

Watching football and sitting outside. Discovered a beautiful neighborhood restaurant gem right up the street.

Mood board?

June 18, 2012

The signage in the Nokia House company store has adopted our marketing copy.

Use before entering

June 17, 2012

A common sight in Helsinki, Finland.

Cobbled together

June 16, 2012

The sidewalk in front of our house has been ripped up for three months. They are not just replacing the sidewalk, they are restoring it. Considerable time is going into rebuilding with original materials. It's new, but old.

Legionnaires?

June 15, 2012

Marianna's in the ER. It's been two weeks and she's not getting better. Cough and lungs make her  feel like she has pneumonia. Lungs rattle. She's missed all the red cross events this past two weeks. The doctors are concerned that since her sister and mother both have the same symptoms that it could be Legionnaires disease. She's tested. They find a viral infection, not pneumonia.

We cancel our trip to Finland and Estonia this weekend. I will head to Helsinki Sunday now for work. Unfortunate, since it is a beautiful time of year to go.

I am bring home pasta bolognese from Spaghetti Western,  One of our favorite spots. She needs some cheering up.

Sidewalk cheering

June 14, 2012

Every restaurant has a TV screen hooked up outside for people to watch the evening football games. When Germany is playing the cheers can be hears all over the city.  Here's the scene at the Mediterranean restaurant just a few doors down from our apartment.

Daily vice

June 13, 2012

There's no English language TV here in Berlin. Not even on cable. But with our Slingbox and a MacBook, it's just like being in California. Watching the commercials for the Dodge Ram trucks or riding lawnmowers highlights the divide.

Used art

June 12, 2012

Most of the galleries I've been to in Berlin have been either too expensive or just not to my liking. Finally found a consignment gallery around the corner that could be just right...

Skyline dining

June 11, 2012

Team lunch on the roof deck.

Square living

June 10, 2012

Found a new source of ideas for exploration. Find that I've already fallen into a commute, a groove, going back to favorites rather than striking out. Tried a new neighborhood - Friedrichshain.   to go to expand my wanderings. Bought a 5 euro vase from the 60s, and they wrapped it in newspaper and dropped it into a Tiffany's bag. Nothing good could come from that. The burrito shop next to the square however was the discovery of the day!

Uniform shopping

June 9, 2012

Germany is big on uniforms. I'm picking up Marianna's Red Cross uniform for the massive soccer festival in the central park. Unfortunately for Marianna, she's been feeling worse. Feels like she might have bronchitis. No volunteering is in the cards today.

Football kickoff

June 8, 2012

It's the start of the European Cup. The games start at 6. The office is empty by 5:30. For the opening of the tournament Nokia hosted a football party.

Berlin Burger

June 7, 2012

The burger just isn't part of the culture here. But Middle Eastern take out is everywhere. Falafel im brot.

Sick-ish

June 7, 2012

Run down. Fighting something. Marianna too.

New French

June 5, 2012

Met Marianna after her meeting with the leading VC in Berlin. She's looking for volunteer opportunities. But rallied to try a new hole in the wall French spot. We're both feeling run down.

Bottled up

June 4, 2012

Something we don't have in the states. Six packs of 1.5 liter bottles of mineral water. With built in carrying handles. Somehow in this nation of green everything the notion that filtered water is an acceptable alternative to bottled hasn't hit the mainstream.

Aftermath

June 3, 2012

Not much happened today.

Surreal meal

June 2, 2012

11 markets and 12 hours of prep later, dinner comes off effortlessly.

Cocktails go down effortlessly too. (except for the ultra rare bottle of Kinmen Kaoliang liquor the guests bought.)

Holy Mackerel

June 1, 2012

Lunch at the local farmers market. Worth slipping away from work for an hour. Seasoned and grilled while you wait.

Bio-nic shopper

May 31, 2012

I am taking a hiatus from my year of not cooking. Dinner party for a chef and her husband, a colleague. Trying to make a simple dinner sf style. Ceasar salad. Lemongrass curry seafood. Zuni short ribs. Except that there is no romaine lettuce here, no fresh clams or octopus, no short ribs at all. Hmm.

I joined the local 'whole foods'. Now food is only slightly exorbitant.